Guest Security Awareness

The Villa Collective has implemented measures to make our website secure.

While the vast majority of transactions will be smooth and trouble-free, as with any online business our website is unfortunately susceptible to online fraud.

There are steps which you can take in order to minimise these threats and being aware of these illegal practices will greatly reduce the risk of becoming a victim yourself.

Communication is key

Always talk to the host before committing to a booking.

The early stages of an enquiry are likely to be conducted by e-mail via TVC's secure messaging system, but as an enquiry progresses to a booking, we will be able to put you in touch with the host and recommend that you speak to the host directly.

Speaking to the host protects against phishing - the theft of online identity which would allow a fraudster to communicate with you, masquerading on email as the advertised host.

By speaking to the host prior to committing to the booking, you can reassure yourself that you are communicating with the host as advertised on The Villa Collective website, and not with an imposter.

TVC makes every effort to avert the threat of phishing, but it is a possible scenario of which guests should be aware.

In any case, always speak to the host before transferring funds.

Transferring the rental fees

All our villas and hosts are verified for their authenticity so you can transfer fees directly to them with confidence.

However, we do recommend that if the hosts sends their bank details via email you must verify them over the telephone before making the transfer. This ensures that in the unlikely event that your email has been hacked you are not sending the funds to the wrong bank account.

We will be introducing a secure payment system within the platform over the course of 2017 but in the meantime if you are unsure or uncomfortable making the transfer directly please call us and we will be happy to facilitate the transaction.

Insurance

Insuring yourself against issues that may arise when booking a villa holiday is highly recommended and for our UK customers, our insurance partner PJ Hayman & Co has a number of relevant products.

You can get quotes online for:

  • Cancellation
  • Curtailment
  • Fraud
  • Significantly not as advertised
  • Deposit wrongfully withheld

For more information on the insurance products offered by PJ Hayman & Co, click here .